<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>Clean Sheets by KawaiiKozume</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23325628">Clean Sheets</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/KawaiiKozume/pseuds/KawaiiKozume'>KawaiiKozume</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>RWBY</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Recovery, References to Depression</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-03-26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-03-26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 04:07:47</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,128</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23325628</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/KawaiiKozume/pseuds/KawaiiKozume</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Some weeks, there are days Qrow lives through but doesn't remember or knows he does. When he comes back, James is always there to coax him into reality.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Qrow Branwen/James Ironwood</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>8</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>49</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Clean Sheets</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This fic does a couple things for me:<br/>1) It's dedicated to the people having a rough go currently. The world is harsh and our brains make it harsher by telling us dumb things.<br/>2) I wanted to see how I would translate a concept/trope I use for my Kuroken into a different ship. I'd like to say I did a good job keeping them separate but similar enough.<br/>3) Writing this allowed me to have a small victory at the time. Vague, but needed to be note.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>"Qrow." That voice was familiar. Qrow wracked his brain trying to place it. He inhaled and smelled lavender. His nose twitched against coarse fabric and it was then that he realized he was still in bed.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Qrow, darling. It's been a couple days. C'mon."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>James. That was James' voice. His head hurt. He groaned and turned over in the sheets. He was warm, the sheets were sticking to him. He kicked them off. His nose twitched again. What was that awful smell?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Stinks." His throat hurt. It felt raw. He looked around blearily, eyes finding James leaning in the doorway.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Yeah. Should take a shower." His arms were at his side. If it weren't for the pinched eyebrows Qrow would have thought he was teasing. He was worried, and helpless. Qrow pushed himself into sitting. So that explains being disoriented.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"I didn't even realize I'd left." He muttered. He flipped his hands over in his lap, reassuring himself he was real and awake. James sighed and pushed off the doorframe.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"I know."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>His vision was blurring and he saw his hands starting to shake. What set it off?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Qrow?" James was standing by the bed. He laid a hand on Qrow's shoulder.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"I'm sorry. I don't know what set it off." Qrow pressed his palms to his eyes and pushed until he saw stars. His head throbbed. Right, the headache. Wait, why did his head hurt? He didn't slip did he? He was breathing heavier.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"My head hurts, did I-?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"No, you didn't drink. This was a stay-in-bed kind of trip." James kneeled by the bed. He brought a hand to the back of Qrow's neck.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Hey, look at me?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Qrow did. He took in the worry in James' blue eyes, the tight lines around his mouth and that pinch was still in his eyebrows.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Don't be sorry about these kinds of things. It happens to me too, you know this." They sat in silence for a bit with James rubbing his thumb back and forth over the greasy hair at the base of Qrow's head.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Do you think you can shower?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Yeah."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Okay, you do that and I'll change the sheets." James pressed a soft kiss to Qrow's temple and got up from his knees. Qrow moved slowly but got on his feet and shuffled to the en suite. His arms felt heavy as he stared in the mirror. His eyes were dull and his vision went blurry again. James found him still staring at the mirror minutes later.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"They're so heavy." He croaked out. James didn't say anything but he moved to turn on the shower to the temperature Qrow loved. Hot enough that it felt like raining lava.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Can I get ur shirt?" Qrow nodded miserably. James worked with Qrow to discard the three day old shirt from his body and by then Qrow found a shred of strength so he removed his own boxers.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Do I have to?" He asked, already knowing the answer. He closed his eyes against the tears coming back. "It just takes a lot of work."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"I know, but the sooner you get in the easier it'll get."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Will you talk about what I missed while I wash? It'll help me not think about washing."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Yes, now come along." Qrow stepped in under the hot spray of water and James sat on the closed toilet.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Ozpin announced they won the most recent game against Salem. They were pretty proud of that but I suspect Salem is currently winning this game. Ruby got a new nerf toy. This one is a crossbow. She loved it for approximately a day and a half before going back to the foam scythe you built her." James droned on about their friends' lives while Qrow went through the motions. He wasn't retaining any information but he was still finishing what needed to be finished.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Roman messaged you about meeting up for lunch sometime next week." Qrow shut the water off. James already held his towel for him. Silence came back as Qrow dried himself off and padded out to the dresser for fresh clothes. Once again, he felt drained. He looked at the piece of furniture and then to the bed wondering if it was really necessary to get dressed.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Yes, you do have to clothe yourself." Damn it, he's good at that. Qrow gave him a look and there was enough of his feelings in it for James to soften a little. He pulled out a tshirt and new underwear before stepping back again.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"What do you want at this second?" He asked quietly. Qrow shrugged. He knew what he wanted but it wasn't something that James could make happen.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"My Qrow? I can't help if I don't know."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"I want to stop having these cycles of numbness where I check out for days on end because it really sucks to not be able to remember anything we've done. I'd also like to stop feeling like everything's so damn heavy." He turned to James and oh, he was dressed. He furrowed his eyebrows and frowned trying to figure out when he started dressing.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"When you started talking." James pulled him close. "Do you feel a little bit better?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Qrow shrugged again. Sure, he didn't feel the grimy, sweaty feeling but his head still hurt and he still couldn't remember the last three days at all.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"M' head still hurts." He leaned into James' chest and stood there, breathing in the familiar scent of lavender.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Well, three days is a bit to go without substantial food. I'm not surprised your head hurts. How about you move out to the couch with me, we'll get you some tea and toast and start up a complex movie that you can focus on?" James ran his hand up and down Qrow's back while he considered the offer. He would at least be able to move to the couch, and he knew James would take care of the other things.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Yeah, I can do that." Qrow sighed. Neither of them moved to leave the room. Qrow's brain turned thoughts over faster than a bullet train.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Maybe that's why I'm so unlucky." Qrow stated. James replied with a questioning hum.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"All my luck went into meeting a guy who can keep up with my depressive cycle."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Remember, it's a two way street. You keep up with mine just as well." Qrow hummed.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Come on, let's get food in you so you can take painkillers."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Carry me?" Qrow's voice was small. James smiled and kissed the top of his head. Then he picked Qrow up, who wrapped his legs around his waist like a koala, and they left the room. The window was open and the sheets were once again clean.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
</body>
</html>